Zakiya Bywaters was a top recruit coming out of high school, ranked No. 17 by ESPN and No. 21 as a four-star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer, and more than lived up to the hype while a member of the UCLA women’s soccer team. As a senior, the forward starred right out of the gate, starting 23 of the 25 games and earning Pac-10 All-Freshman honors.
While Bywaters was successful her first three years, she took her game to a new level during her senior season. After scoring eight total goals over her first three seasons, Bywaters almost doubled that number, scoring 15 goals in her final season. Those goals did more than just fill out an impressive stat line – six of her 15 goals were game-winners.
Bywaters’ improvement in goal-scoring earned her multiple honors. She was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year, a First Team All-American and earned a spot on the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Season first team.
Bywaters capped off her UCLA career by moving on to a professional one, earning yet another honor by being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2013 National Women’s Soccer League draft by the Chicago Red Stars.